Frank Di Giulio's Patches O'Houlihan continues his pursuit of perfection in 2023 when he battles nine rivals in the CA$175,000 Kennedy Road Stakes (G2) at Woodbine Nov. 18.
The 3-year-old gelded son of Reload is 6-for-6 this year. Among his triumphs are four in stakes: the July 8 Lake Huron Stakes, the July 30 Lake Superior Stakes, the Aug. 20 Bold Venture Stakes (G3), and the Sept. 16 Vigil Stakes (G3).
His last-out victory in the Vigil came by the slightest of margins. Hooked throughout, the Bob Tiller trainee was all out to score by a nose under Daisuke Fukumoto.
- Patches O'Houlihan faces a seemingly tougher test in the Kennedy Road, a six-furlong race on Tapeta that is the final stakes sprint for horses age 3 or older of the Woodbine season. The Woodbine meet ends next month.
- Other contenders include Dream Shake, Ice Chocolat, and War Bomber. Dream Shake and War Bomber are graded stakes winners this year on turf at Woodbine, and Ice Chocolat has threatened in high-class company. He was recently third in the Nearctic Stakes (G2T) and also showed this summer in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course.
- If Patches O'Houlihan can prevail Saturday, he will fall just a win shy of the unbeaten 8-for-8 sprint campaign in 2017 from Pink Lloyd, that year's Canadian Horse of the Year for Entourage Stable and Tiller.
Woodbine, Saturday, November 18, 2023, Race 9Entries: Kennedy Road S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Jazz Hands (CA) Shane Ellis 120 Harold Ladouceur 20/1 2 2Flag Of Honour (AUS) Kazushi Kimura 121 Julia Carey 10/1 3 3Dream Shake (KY) Rafael Manuel Hernandez 124 Michael Stidham 6/1 4 4War Bomber (IRE) Juan Crawford 124 Norman McKnight 8/1 5 5Maclean's Posse (ON) Patrick Husbands 121 Josie Carroll 15/1 6 6Sky's Not Falling (MD) Jose Luis Campos 121 Michael J. Trombetta 20/1 7 7Rockcrest (ON) Jason Hoyte 121 Nigel R. Burke 12/1 8 8Ironstone (ON) Ryan Munger 120 W. V. Armata 15/1 9 9Patches O'Houlihan (ON) Daisuke Fukumoto 121 Robert P. Tiller 8/5 10 10Ice Chocolat (BRZ) Sahin Civaci 120 Mark E. Casse 3/1
